The word 'trauma' has many meanings:
1) Originally it meant physical injury.
2) Later, it came to mean very strong emotional reactions to an event that was traumatic, thus potentially leading to Post-Trauma Stress Disorder, the strong symptomatic response to triggers from the event.
3) In many areas of the counseling world today, the word has evolved further to mean any strong difficulties from a person’s earlier life, particularly childhood, that ‘results’ in ineffectiveness or unhappiness. This could mean incidents like family difficulties or parental attitudes over time. Many therapists work systematically, (like Freud originally did) to have people recall and work through these earlier difficulties and gradually reclaim workability in their present life.
In taking this program you will not work with definition 3. In fact, we do not touch this at all. As Solution-Focused assistants, our work is to assist people with the present and future, not the past.
Our aim is to assist people to quickly reclaim their ability to move forward toward a purpose that engages their own dreams and next-level
For solution-focused coaches our questions mainly link to a contract about what our clients dream to achieve. Beyond Trauma: Skills for Non-Therapists is congruent with this aim.
If trauma intrudes from emotional reactions to an old event, no matter how severe, our aim is to assist them to remove this obstacle gracefully so that they can continue their approach towards the purpose that is important to them.
In other words, as trauma assistants, we are humble ‘roadblock removers only. The several techniques you will learn in this program are simple, and for most, will take only a short time to integrate. They are tested and proven effective, but only to assist with type 2 trauma.
I believe this is a useful set of tools for Solution Focused coaches to have in their kit bag and will be very significant in 2022, with the world in severe turmoil and many traumatic events happening.
Learn more about Beyond Trauma: Tools for Non-Therapists
We will enjoy learning together.
Marilyn Atkinson
